Maximum Ride 6 Years later
by MEGGEM
Summary: When the Flock has finally settled down with Ella and Mom, they think that they can just lay back. Soon they come face to face with old 'friends'. And who is MEGA? Lot's of romance too. Eggy, Niggy, Fax -MEGGEM
1. Chapter 1

**HEY! Please, please, review. This is my first story and I want to here your imput. Just a tap a few words! And flame is welcomed (sort of)**

**Disclamer- The only thing _I _own is a fish and some stickers. **

6 YEARS LATER-LOTS HAVE CHANGEd

Prologue

You know how all those teenagers are embarrassed to be living with their mom at the age of 20 or 21? Well, I couldn't be more thrilled. And I'm not a normal teenager either. I'm the invincible Maximum Ride or Max or as I am known here, Maxine Martinez, using my mom's, Dr. Valencia Martinez, last name. Okay, for those of you who don't know about me and my flock-and I'm sure that is not a lot because I am just _so _popular-I'll give you the scoop.

Did I just say flock? You bet I did. They are my family, my best friends. There is Fang, and Iggy (he's blind) and they are both my age. Then there are Nudge (who attracts metal and can hack any computer) and the Gasman (who has something weird with his system) they are 17 and 14. Then there is Angel, my baby, she reads minds. When I was a baby, these wacked out scientists (or white coats) put avian DNA in me. That's right: I was an experiment. And to some, I probably still am. My mission was (or is or whatever) to SAVE THE WORLD! No pressure, right? Anyway, one of the scientists was good-or so we thought-and helped me and the rest of my flock escape from the lab. His name is Jeb Batchelder. He lived with us for two years, than vanished. We survived another two years until they found us. Erasers. Erasers are half human and half wolf. And get a load of this; those scientists I mentioned put avian DNA in the Erasers, giving them wings. Do I have wings? Uh, huh. We attract a lot of attention. Anyway, my flock and I have been on the run for a long time and there's a lot to tell. But all I'll talk about is Ari. Ari was my half brother and an Eraser. He is also Jeb's human son (Jeb's my dad) or he was until the white coats turned him into an Eraser. Long story short, Ari and I fought several times and just when he and I became friends, he died. Ari was only seven years old. But hey, I'm only 20 or 21 and I am supposed to save the world. I thought I was done saving the world until my Voice told me otherwise.

You know how everyone has a conscience? I've got one too but on top of that, I've got another voice in my head, other than my own. I don't know who it is or what it is but it drives me insane. I guess I am going to have to explain what I meant by saving the world. This was this company called Itex that wanted to destroy everyone on Earth. I destroyed it. Then I went down to Antarctica with my flock, trying to help with stopping global warming. Well, a little later, we got captured and had to leave but we returned a little later. What we did to help stop global warming was that we are a really good way to advertise things. So, we got a lot of important people to think more about global warming (and during this time, we almost died-again) and the friendly scientists told us we could go home. We stayed at my mom's for two to three years, going to this specific school and doing different things. Then we decided to explore the world a little. Well, the world is really big and we got kind of tired of being on the run a lot so after two years, we came back to Mom's. And we've been here for a year. A few things have happened: Ella and Iggy are together. I don't know how it happened but it did. He isn't the same now though. He doesn't make bombs with the Gasman anymore, which really bums Gazzy out. Gazzy has found a "friend" too. Her name is Lily. I've never met her, but it seems like he really likes her. The only problem is that he has told her about his wings. I don't like that too much, but like I said, he really, really likes her. We also ran into the Director a couple of months ago. She was threatened us. But we worked out a deal, which I will tell you about later

Chapter 1-Living with Mom

"I miss Total," Angel whined, and she doesn't do that very often. Oh God. Not this again.

"Yes, Angel," I told her. "We all do." Gazzy snorted. I shot him a look.

"Honey, he wanted to stay with Akila and the scientists couldn't afford to lose her." Angel sniffed.

"I know," she gulped down a sob. "But, we'll see him soon right?" I nodded.

"Hey, Nudge?" I called to her. Nudge had grown to be very pretty, with nicely curled, dark brown hair with blond streaks and big brown eyes. She was tall and slim.

Most boys at school were in love with her, despite that she talked a lot. Actually, she had talked less when we had returned to Mom's house. Maybe it had something to do with Iggy and Ella being together. I don't know why, but every time that she saw them together, she went quiet. Not a bad thing but still.

"What?" she called back, from the couch.

"Can you go get Iggy and Ella for dinner?"

"Oh, sure and how about after that, I go kill myself?" she said with fake enthusiasm. I sighed.

"Nudge…"

"Whatever." Nudge got up and stormed her way down the hall. We listened as she shoved Iggy's door open. "IGGY! ELLA! STOP MAKING OUT WITH EACH OTHER AND COME EAT YOUR FREAKING DINNER!" Everyone jumped as she slammed the door. Hard. As she came back into the kitchen, her face was red and angry.

"Max, would you mind if I skipped dinner?" she asked, fist clenched. "'Cause, I'm not hungry and I need to some time to think a little. Please?" I stared at her.

"Alright, but Nudge, I want to talk a little later, okay?" Nudge mumbled something and left. I could see her take off from the window.

"What's with Nudge?" Fang asked coming out from the shadows. I jumped and turned to him.

"DON'T _do_ that. I am not sure." Fang sat down beside me and stared at my hand, which was perched on the table ledge. He was staring at, specifically, the fourth finger on my left hand. My engagement ring. Oh yeah. Umm, did I mention that I was going to get married?

"So, two months, huh?" he muttered, eyes downcast.

"Yup," I said, also looking down. I couldn't look at his pupils; that's where the pain would be.

"When are you going to see Ron?" he asked. Ron was my 'fiancé'. Big whoop.

"In a few weeks."

"That's what I thought," he grimaced slightly. Fang was usually the coolest guy I've ever met, but ever since this 'marriage' thing, his shell was cracking. I sighed.

"Fang we've been through this," I told him for not the first, not the second, but millionth time. "I do not love him. But he is the Director's son and if I don't do what she says-" I couldn't go on. My heart hurt at the thought of Fang watching me walk down the aisle in a fluffy white dress. I was about to say something else when Iggy and Ella came in looking flushed.

"What's up with Nudge?" Iggy asked us. We all shrugged than remembered he was blind.

"No idea," I said.

"What's for dinner?" Ella asked, plopping down on Iggy's lap.

"Pizza," I said and everyone cheered. I passed out the pieces to everyone and sat down. I took a bite of the cheese and sighed. It felt so good to be able to eat pizza and not fear your life. Once, my flock ordered a pizza and there was a bomb in it. So, this was good. Don't worry; I've already checked it for explosives.

"This is good pizza," Fang mumbled. Everyone nodded. I ate than cleared my plate happily.

"Where's Mom?" Ella asked.

"I think that she went shopping or something. I don't know. She just told me to order pizza," I said. My eyes went to the window. Nudge still wasn't back yet. _This isn't good_, I thought.

"Max, tomorrow, I'm going to be gone early because Lily and I are going out for a fly," the Gasman said. I turn to him, stomach jumping.

"Gazzy…" I began but he cut me off.

"I know what you are going to say but save your breath. I like Lily a lot and I trust her. She's not an Eraser and I've already shown her my wings," Gazzy spoke quickly so I wouldn't interrupt him. I sighed for about the hundredth time today.

"Alright, Gasman, but I want to meet this girl. Bring her by tomorrow," I told him. Iggy nodded.

"Yeah, I want to meet the girl that has Gazzy all riled up," he said. The Gasman turned bright red and Ella laughed. Iggy 'looked' at her happily and said, "Okay, I'm done." Ella nodded and together, they left the room.

"Fang, you're in charge for the time being. I'm going to try to find Nudge," I informed him and as I left, I heard Gazzy let one go and everyone still there groaning. I smiled to myself. I took off into the air, my wings beating powerfully. In the air, I felt strong and adrenalines fill my veins, like in fight. Except, this time, there weren't a bunch of Erasers trying to kill me and I wasn't about to die, so I liked this adrenaline.

_Where could she be? _I thought and I than I heard the Voice. I hadn't heard it in a while. It's probably been about a week since it had annoyed me last.

_She is sitting on top of the big tree that you will see in about thirteen yards_, the voice chimed in. _And I do not annoy you, I simply_-

_Yeah, yeah whatever, _I cut it off and continued flying. It went silent.

Soaring through the sky, I spotted the big tree and a brown figure on top of it. Nudge. I swooped down and landed next to her.

"Nudge, what's going on?" I asked her. She turned to me and I could see that her brown cheeks were soaked with tears.

"Nothing," she sniffed, looking at her bare feet, and I knew that she was lying.

"Honey…" I said, trying to persuade her to trust me.

"Fine, its Iggy and Ella," she confessed and I saw tears in her eyes. As they began to fall, I wiped them away with my thumb.

"It's weird," Nudge continued. "Every time that I see them together, I get really hot, than cold, and than like I'm going to throw up. And sometimes, I feel really mad at Ella. And than mad at Iggy, for liking her and not-" She stopped talking and bowed her head. I put one arm around her.

"And not…" I was happy that she was confiding in me. Nudge looked up at me with these big brown eyes.

"And not…me," she said and began to sob. I frowned. Nudge likes Iggy? This was a new development.

"And it's so strange because he's like my brother and he only likes me as a friend. And I didn't used to care but now… and I'm so stupid! He's never going to like me! Did you feel like this when Fang was with Brigid? Or Lissa? Never mind that's your business, but you and Fang aren't together right now, though right? Because you're engaged to Ron. Why are you getting married to Ron? He's an idiot! And he's mean. When we met him, I was sure that you would hate him. Why are you-" I cut here off before she could ask me I wanted to dye my hair green. Did I say that Nudge talks a lot?

"Nudge, maybe you should tell Iggy how you feel," I advised. Oh, yes. Me, the fountain of romantic wisdom. God.

"He'd just laugh at me," she whispered. I shook my head.

"Iggy wouldn't laugh at you. Besides, you are beautiful and smart and a bunch of other good things," I told her. She lowered her gaze but I could see her embarrassment and pleasure. My heart welled up and I squeezed her shoulders.

"You never know, he might have feelings for you."

"Oh, I don't know."

"Nudge, just promise me that you'll give it a try. It doesn't matter when but, just try," I countered. She looked up at me and nodded.

"Good, now let's go," I said, but Nudge was already flying off. A laugh escaped me and I zoomed after her. Soon, we were back at my mom's house. Everyone was sitting in the living room; Iggy on the small chair with Ella on his lap; Fang on the

couch; Gazzy on a beanbag next to Iggy's chair; Angel in the wooden rocking chair; and Mom at her feet. I took the spot next to Fang and Nudge the chair next to me. Angel looked at the both of us and I heard her voice in my head.

MAX, DO YOU KNOW NOW?

**Know what now? **

THAT NUDGE IS IN LOVE WITH IGGY!

**Angel! Have you been reading Nudge's mind without her permission?**

There was silence.

MAYBE A LITTLE.

**Angel, this is Nudge's business. Let here take care of it. But, I'm just curious, what does Iggy think about Nudge?**

WELL, HE THINKS THAT SHE TALKS A LOT, BUT THAT SHE IS THE SWEETEST AND MOST SELFLESS PERSON THAT HE HAS EVER MET.

I whistled in my mind.

HE'S ALSO SAD THAT HE HAS NEVER SEEN HER FACE. BUT HE THINKS THAT HER SKIN IS REALLY PRETTY.

**Angel, what do you mean that he has never seen her face?**

IT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. HE BECAME BLIND BEFORE HE EVER MET HER.

**Well, why don't you just show him what she looks like? **

I DID BUT THAT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO. I HAVE AN IDEA. WHY DON'T I SHOW HIM WHAT EVERYONE IN THE FLOCK LOOKS LIKE!

**Good idea, Angel.**

GREAT! I'LL DO THAT SOME TIME!

Then, she was gone from my mind. Iggy shifted Ella in his lap and kissed her. Nudge went stiff next to me and I patted her hand. Nudge shut her eyes than opened her fist and rotated her hand to the right. She kept doing this and to my surprise, the screws from Ella and Iggy's chair unscrewed themselves. They shot from their holes, coming flying into her hand and she quickly put them in her pocket. I shot her a look that said, _you did _not _just do that. _She smirked. Iggy leaned to kiss Ella deeper and the chair collapsed. Everyone gasped, except me, Angel, and Nudge.

"What the…" Ella didn't finish her thought as she and Iggy stood up, looking confused and embarrassed. Nudge casually went over there and pretended to check the damage, but I saw her drop the screws underneath their holes.

"Hey look," she said innocently enough and everyone came over to see what she was pointing at. My mom was shaking her head.

"That's very strange. This chair is new," she said, scratching her head. Angel was laughing into her palm. The Gasman glanced at her and she just shook her head. As I looked at the wooden chair in pieces on the floor and Iggy and Ella, I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling. A small squeak escaped my mouth and Fang stared at me curiously.

"Well, I think that we should just go to bed," Nudge advised and after saying good night to everyone, escaped to her room, shoulders shaking with laughter. Everyone parted, even Ella and Iggy, who kissed for a while than sighing went to their rooms. I yawned and was about to fall onto the couch when Fang pulled me up in his arms and carried me to my room. He dumped me gently onto the bed and for a few minutes we just stared at each other, than I motioned for him to lie down. After a few minutes hesitation, he dropped beside me. I put my head in his neck and fell asleep to the rhythm of his breathing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Lily and Joseph

The next morning, Fang was still there, except his arms were around my waist and he was asleep. I softly touch his cheek with my nose and he was awake. We lay together for several seconds than got up. Fang left to get dressed and letting me get changed. I grabbed a purple, sleeveless turtleneck that Ella got me for Christmas last year and cutoff black shorts, a gift from Nudge. Neither was my style, but they were comfortable. When I went into the kitchen, Ella, Mom and Iggy were already there making breakfast. Ella whistled when she saw me.

"You look smokin' Max," she commented and I blushed. Fang came up behind me in (you guessed it) black. He grabbed me around the waist and whispered, "Good morning" in my ear and I blushed even redder. When he let go, I nearly fainted. I shuddered to clear my head than strode into the room. Nudge came in a few minutes after me. She was in a white tank top and dark blue Capri's. I thought she looked gorgeous. Nudge opened her mouth to say hello when the doorbell rang. Everyone's heads turned toward the door. No one ever came to visit us. Ever. Slowly, Fang went and opened it, me right behind him.

"Hello?" he said and I peered over his shoulder to see a red haired boy in a t-shirt and jeans. He had sunglasses on his head and a small smile on his face.

"Umm, hi, I'm looking for Haley?" the boy said timidly. "I'm Joseph Kale." Fang stared at him than yelled, "Haley! There's someone here for you! He says that his name is Joseph!" (We had all given ourselves fake names: I was Maxine; Fang was Kyle; Iggy was Alex; Nudge was Maya; Gazzy was Lester; and Angel was Haley) Angel came

running in, face red and eyes bright. Joseph's smile widened as he saw her. I knew that look. That was the way that Ella looked at Iggy when he said he loved her. I felt my stomach doing flips.

"Hello, I'm Maxine Martinez, Haley's older sister. Are you two going somewhere?" I said, stepping in front of Fang. Joseph looked at me and grinned again.

"Hi. Yeah, we were going to go get some breakfast at _Lori's _you know that restaurant down the road?" My eyebrows furrowed.

**Angel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **I thought.

MAX, RELAX. WE'RE JUST GOING TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT AND THAN HE'LL TAKE ME BACK HERE IN LIKE FORTY MINUTES!

**Why should I trust him?**

BECAUSE HE IS SWEET, SMART, AND I LOVE HIM.

**Angel, you're only twelve! How can you love him!**

BECAUSE I DO AND HE CARES ABOUT ME.

**I don't like this Angel.**

WELL, I DON'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION.

Angel gave me a look and after saying goodbye, she took Joseph's hand, shut the door the house. I ran to my bedroom and slammed the door. Fang pounded on it.

"Max, let me in!"

"NO!" I screamed back and stuffed my head in a pillow.

"Well, I don't need your permission," he yelled, which sent me into another wailing fit. As promised, Fang knocked to door down and came in. He took me in his arms and squeezed me. Without warning, I clasped his face with both hands and kissed him. He was surprised at first than kissed me back. We sat there for a minute and a half until he finally broke away. Fang stared into my eyes. In his, I saw confusion, pain, and happiness. Just like mine.

"Max, what just happened here?" he said slowly.

"I don't know, I just…had to-" I didn't finish. I told him everything that happened with Angel and he held me tighter.

"Max, she's a big girl now. You've got to let go," he advised. I nodded but began crying again.

"It's just that-that Angel's my youngest and even she is going off and doing who knows what with who knows who and the sad part is-" I gulped. "The sad part is that I'll never have any kids. I refuse to have kids with someone I don't love and that counts Ron out and Ron is one I'm getting married to-" Fang put his hand on my lips.

"Don't think about it right now. You are not getting married yet." He wiped away my tears and together, we stood, going back to the living room. Iggy and Nudge were sitting side by side; Nudge looking like she was in pain. She saw us and ran over.

Surprisingly, she gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, "Max, Angel told me what you were thinking and I just wanted to let you know that-that if I ever get the chance to live with my parents, I would still stay with you because, you are my mom, even though you are only a few years older. I mean it though. You are my mom and I would never change that. Never." I hugged her tight. After a long while, Iggy came over to but he wasn't one of my children. Iggy was a brother. A wiser, funnier, older brother, even though I was the oldest. Gazzy came out and I grabbed him too. He didn't know what was happening but decided to go with it. There was knocking at the door. Pulling away from my family, I opened it. A pretty girl with navy blues eyes and curly black hair was there.

"You must be Max," the girl said and I smiled, liking her already.

"Yes, and you must be Lily," I said and she nodded. Introductions were made and soon everyone was talking and laughing and doing all sorts of things. Next thing I knew, we were playing Scene It or something and Angel was back with her friend, who turned out to be a fantastic monopoly player. Joseph suggested that we play a game that required thinking, like Poker. Everyone in my flock turned that offer down because of Angel and her reading of minds. Later that night, Gazzy decided to play a game of truth or dare. Almost everyone refused but he insisted so we had to oblige.

"I'll go first," Gazzy said. Lily was sitting in his lap and was leaning against his torso, making him smile like mad. Looking around, he said, "Angel, truth or dare?"

"Truth," was her response. The Gasman thought for a minute and than asked, "Who do you think would be a better couple, Max and Fa- I mean Kyle, or Max and Sam?" Angel grinned.

"Oh that's too easy; Max and Kyle of course." I went a bit red but than so did Fang.

"Okay, my turn. Maya, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Whom would you rather kiss?" Nudge turned pink. Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

**Angel, don't do this.**

IT'S TOO LATE MAX. SHE CHOSE TRUTH.

"Would you rather kiss Mike or um," Angel looked around briefly with false wondering and her gaze landed on Iggy.

"Would you rather kiss Mike or Iggy?" Nudge went a deep purple than got it together and scrunched her nose. Before she could reply, Iggy snarled, "Who's _Mike_?" in a strange tone that I've never heard him use before.

"Mike is the guy that she liked in Virginia," Angel said. "Now, Maya, Iggy or Mike?"

"Well, Mike turned out to be a complete idiot and really stupid so…Iggy." Iggy went a bit pink but I don't think that anyone else noticed but me. Nudge looked at Ella and the games continued.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Ella and Iggy

When I awoke, everyone was crowded in my room; Nudge, Fang, Angel, the Gasman, and Mom. Everyone was there except for Iggy and Ella.

"Uh hi," I said, pushing hair out of my eyes and looking around. Fang turned to me, looking annoyed.

"Oh, hey," he mumbled and than I heard the yelling.

"What the heck does that even-,"

"It means that you are a PIG!!!"

"_What_?" There was a crash and my mom covered her face.

"There goes my favorite bowl," she sighed.

"Um, guys what's going on?" I asked. Angel turned her head.

"Iggy and Ella are fighting. Big time," she explained.

"We've been in here for like ten minutes," Gazzy added.

"What are they fighting about?" I asked.

"Everything," Nudge replied. I was silent, trying to here what was happening.

"I _SAID _THAT _YOU ARE A __**MORON!!**_-,"

"TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE!!"

"Wow," I said and my mom nodded. A few minutes later, the fighting stopped. We all crept to the door and peered out. Ella, red faced and mumbling to herself, was stomping down the hallway. When she saw us looking, she growled, "If you're looking for Iggy, he went for a fly." And with that, she went into her room and slammed the door.

"How did the fighting start?" I asked as my mom began to make breakfast in the kitchen.

"Well, you know how I was going to show everyone in the flock to Iggy in his mind right? I did and he made a specific comment on Nudge, which set Ella off. And they've been screaming at each other all morning." I was still a bit mad at Angel from when she told me that what I thought didn't matter to her, but she was getting older and I was okay with that. All of a sudden, Iggy burst through the front door.

"Is she gone?" he asked breathlessly.

"She's in her room," Fang said quietly. His face was expressionless. No one spoke. Iggy opened his mouth to speak when an object came flying through the window. It was beeping and flashing red.

I know a bomb when I see one.

My heart just about stopped.

"Everyone duck!" I yelled at my flock and mother. It was kind of a stupid thing to say, because they were already on the ground. There wasn't anywhere to hide and I threw myself on the bomb. Grasping it with my right hand, I launched it out the window with incredible precision. I almost thought, _We're safe. _However, I wasn't expecting the impact.

The explosion shook the house. It rattled my teeth. I couldn't tell if I was going up or down. Just like I was floating in space. And than I came back to Earth. The landing was hard. I was lying in a puddle of liquid that was like syrup.

"Max! Are you okay?" came a voice that sounded like the Gasman.

"Yeah, I'b fine," I groaned. Fang pulled me into his arms and gave me a crushing hug. It hurt like hell but I didn't say anything because I realized how close he was to crying.

"Fang, I'm okay," I murmured into his rock shoulder.

"Then what is this?" He took my hand and touched the puddle on the floor.

I finally knew what that wet sticky stuff was. It was my blood. I held him and I saw that the explosion knocked down some of the wall.

"Mom, oh, I'm so sorry! Your house!" I cried. She looked a bit sad but alright over all.

"Oh Max. It's alright. We'll stay in a hotel," Mom wiped away my tears.

"Hey guys, look at this," the Gasman called. I lifted my head and saw him coming over, holding a strange shard of metal.

"The bomb was different- lethal," he said.

"Aren't all bombs lethal?" I said, cringing as I got up. Gazzy looked

at me.

"Most bombs self-destruct. This one is in pieces," he explained and grinned in that mischievous way he has. "That…was…totally awesome!" I rolled my eyes.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were dead," I sighed.

"But we're not dead, so that was SO COOL!" I turned to see Iggy walking up. He was smiling and casually stepping over the debris. Nudge was just behind him. She had a long scrape down her face. She caught me looking and said, "I'll be okay." I nodded but felt my pulse quicken all the same.

"It says, 'MEGA' on the side. I wonder what that means," the Gasman wondered. My eyebrows knit.

"MEGA? I've never heard of it."

"I hope it's not like Itex," Angel said. I nodded. Mom turned to Ella, who had come in moments before and asked her to get her computer.

Ella was back in a second and opened Google. She typed in MEGA, and Itex. There were some interesting results. We went and stood next to her.

"'Mega information on everything MEGA!'. Click on that," I advised. Ella selected the link. A blue colored page came up with tons of information.

"It says that MEGA can stand for the company Music, Entertainment, and Games Association. It's a toy company. There is also The Mutation Experiment Gordon Association."

"Well, that 'Mutation' probably has something to do with us, so I would click on that," I said and Ella's clicker flickered over the link. A minute later, there was bar that came across the screen that had the options: HOME, HOW _YOU _CAN HELP, OUR LOCATIONS, OUR HISTORY, and OUR EXPERIMENTS!!! It was all pretty creepy.

"What's 'OUR EXPERIMENTS'?" Nudge asked.

"Dunno," Ella responded and a few options came up: NEW EXPERIMENTS; OLD EXPERIMENTS; FAILED EXPERIMENTS; DANGEROUS EXPERIMENTS; and MISSING EXPERIMENTS.

"OLD EXPERIMENTS?" Angel suggested and with a click the new page came up. I only got to read the words, 'When we worked for the company It-,' before the huge letters 'Access Denied' flash across the screen in an angry red color.

"Nudge, this is your show," I murmured and she nodded, limping to the lap top.

"Hmm," she grunted and her fingers drummed on the key board. Than her eyes lit up.

"Oh my god, I completely forgot about the FEDEH!" she said excitedly and with the mouse, she clicked favorites than tapped the end key on the key board, than the delete key. The screen started to flash. She held down the escape key and finally tapped the home key. The screen went black. It looked like it would never start up again.

"You BROKE my computer! Thanks a lot!" Ella exclaimed as Nudge stared at the computer. I felt a little annoyed at her. Then there was a bright light and than the whole screen came up. Nudge turned to Ella and smirked.

"I am so sorry that I broke your computer," Nudge said sarcastically. I heard the Gasman snicker. Ella just breathed out through her nose loudly and turned red.

"What did you do?" I asked Nudge, leaning over her shoulder.

"Well, the FEDEH is the procedure that basically closes every single window that you have opened and eventually turns off the computer. But than the computer gets confused and it opens everything again, this time without the blocks," she explained.

"How'd you learn that?" Iggy asked, sounding impressed. Ella shot a look that could kill at him, even though he didn't see or acknowledge it.

"Umm, I went on a site once that explained all the shortcuts for computers," Nudge informed him, blushing. Iggy just nodded.

"Okay, well what does it say?" Angel asked, and I leaned forward once more, peering at the screen. I read it aloud:

"When we worked for the company, Itex, there was a lab that controlled all experiments. We called it 'the School'. Our first experiment was a girl who was the biological daughter of the man who used to be our head scientist, Jeb Batchelder. Her number was 66723 and her brain waves would shut down the machines because she resisted our tests mentally. Eagle DNA was injected into her veins. Many times, 66723 would kill the scientists that attempted to run tests on her. It was later agreed that she would be terminated but Batchelder escaped with her before that could happen. The next experiments that will be listed also escaped with him:

A few months after 66723 came to the lab; there was a boy (78834) whom was injected with raven DNA. He also was injected with some sort of animal that was known to camouflage but we cannot remember the animal. He seemed to be attached to the girl and it was decided that he would also be terminated, as he violently fought with the scientists.

One other boy (92333) around 66723 and 78834's age was unfortunately blinded when we attempted to improve his vision and we considered him failure. Albatross DNA was injected into him and he grew to a good height with a very long wingspan. We were taking him to the execution site when the escape happened.

The fourth experiment (an African-American girl- 99986-7 years when she escaped) was severally punished and her screams nearly crashed our systems. Her brain waves came fast and without breaks so she was planned to be executed with the others. Our last case of hawk DNA was wasted on her, unfortunately. She was very exposed to metal when we experimented on her and we were not sure if that would cause a problem.

Another boy (10022- 5 years when he escaped) was a bit special because he had parrot DNA in him, along with Pelican DNA. He and the youngest girl were the only two experiments related at that time. We were hoping that he could mimic other things but he never showed any sign of that when he was with us.

His sister (10078- 3 years when she escaped) had swan DNA injected in her. She was very smart and very mysterious. She was very small and seemed to get along well the other avian children. We later found all those children in a house in Colorado. I am very sorry but we are not authorized to tell you anymore.

-Riley Gordon, Founder, Owner, and Manager of MEGA

I stopped reading at that point. Everyone stood there in a daze and finally, Iggy muttered, "What in the world is an albatross?"

"It's a huge bird," Ella replied. I ran a hand across my forehead and tried to breathe normally.

"So…wow," I said and Fang nodded. I looked him in the eye and I say the only thing that I was hoping _not _to see-uncertainty. This was only because I was just as frazzled as he.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO MAX? Angel's frightened little voice squeaked inside my head. She sounded like a little girl again, counting on me for protection. This time, though, I didn't know what to do to protect her.

**I don't know, Angel. Can you tell Fang to take everyone somewhere, like to the mall or something? I want to look through all this information. **

OKEY, DOKEY, MAX.

She was gone once again. Fang's eyes snapped toward me and he gently lifted his chin to say that he would do it. I thanked him with my pupils and soon, he pushed everyone but me out the door (literally). I sat down with a sigh and looked through the pages and pages of stuff. My eyes widened with every piece of shocking news that there was. By the time that I was done, my eyes were the size of saucers. I read a lot of mumbo jumbo but overall, the deal was that some people who had escaped from Itex and had started their own company-MEGA. I couldn't really find their overall goal on the website, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out. What they did was get government funds, and would create labs underground. In these labs, they would take homeless children (like we used to be) and well, experimented. Of course, the website said that they would change for the children for the better and that it was a completely painless procedure. I knew better. What they really wanted was to see how the children would mutate in relation to the experiments. I wondered how they knew that we could mutate and I gulped. Have they been watching us? Something else that bothered me was that I saw several names that supported MEGA that I recognized. One was Jose Mazalton, the Secretary of State. Another was Cliff Brown, the governor of New York. There were famous politicians, writers, artists, mayors, and public speakers. These were important people. And I was starting to get scared. What did they want with us? Obviously they weren't trying to stay under the radar: they had their own website, for God's sake. But yet they were trying to kill us. Maybe it was backwards- maybe they WANTED us to think that they wanted to kill them and it was a trap. I didn't know. I was tired, but I realized, we had to go somewhere. Somewhere that was very far away and could stay until we could figure out how to stop this company. A half an hour after I finished reading, my flock burst through the door, breathing hard.

"Max, Max, we were attacked!" the Gasman screeched. I was on my feet at once.

"Who were you attacked by? Is anyone injured and-where's Mom?" I stopped talking at once when I saw the grave looks on all of their faces. "WHERE'S MOM?!"

"She's in the hospital. Ella is with her. She was hit really hard and we aren't-aren't sure if she's still…still…"Angel's voice cracked. The Gasman hugged her. I realized what they were trying to say. Tears sprang to my eyes and I pushed them down, not going to cry in front of my flock. Then I was angry. I was very angry. No, they were not going to do this. They were not going to take away my mother AGAIN!

"Well, then, let's go to the hospital!" I exclaimed, throwing on my jacket. Fang put a hard hand on my shoulder. I stared up at him in despair.

"They won't let us see her. They say…they say it is very bad. Very, very, bad." My heart began to thump frantically.

"What did you learn about MEGA?" Iggy asked me in a monotone voice. I told them everything that I had read. They looked very scared.

"I…I think that we should go to one of our hideouts. Jeb and I talked about one when he came to visit," I explained.

"Which one? I don't really want to go anywhere; I just want to stay here! I like it here! It was so nice and-" Nudge whined, her big brown eyes were wild with panic.

When she saw the looks on our faces, she fell silent.

"One that is very far from here and very safe. It's in Iowa and it's just a small cottage. I say that we go there immediately and take only few supplies. My mom left me a bunch of money just in case we needed it, like now. It will probably take us four days to get there, so we can stop at a few hotels on the way. What do you guys say?" My heart was breaking from the news of my mom, but I had to be strong for my flock.

"I'm alright with it," Iggy said quietly and Nudge shook her head up and down, slowly. Fang touched my cheek and the Gasman clenched his jaw, nodding. Angel lifted her head and whispered, "Okay." I looked at my flock, my family, and knew that we would pull through.

"Okay, let's get ready," I ordered. They ran around, gathering the only necessary. Iggy quickly ran his hands over the different food products and chose a few, putting them in his satchel. Nudge and the Gasman ran to their rooms. Angel disappeared into her bedroom and Fang had also vanished. I ran to the office and pulled an envelope of cash from the drawer. Then, dashing to my room, I grabbed a change of clothes and a picture of my flock, Ella, and Mom standing in front of the house. It had been taken by Jeb a year ago. I stared at it for a second than stuffed it into a backpack. Deciding that I could take one more thing, I snatched the book 'Little Lucy'. I used to read it to Angel when she was young and I had secretly kept it all these years. Hurrying out of my room, I saw Nudge in the hallway with a bag, closing her door sadly, the Gasman, also carrying a bag, next to her, and Fang quietly emerging from his room. He just had a jacket and it seems that a small object was ledged in his pocket. I picked up a pen and a notepad from the living room and wrote on it swiftly –

_Ella and (or) Mom,_

_Thank you so much for letting us stay at your house. I can't tell you how much these past years have meant to me, us. I am very sorry for the damages that have happened to your house and I wish that I could tell you where we are going but I can't. Anyway, I love you and I promise that I will be back sometime. In the meantime, take care of each other. Please. Goodbye._

_Your daughter and Sister, _

_Maximum Ride_

I left the note on the kitchen counter and turned to my flock, who were waiting silently behind me.

"Let's go guys," my voice sounded hoarse. They nodded and with Iggy holding the Gasman's belt loops, we took off toward the setting sun.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- On the Road Again

We were three quarters over New Mexico when my flock began to tire.

"Max," I heard the Gasman groan from behind Nudge. His voice sounded a little raspy and I glanced back at him. He looked whooped. "I'm tired."

"-eah!" Iggy shouted, from behind Gazzy. His agreement was cut off because of the rushing wind that made my hair fly behind me, as if it had wings of its own.

"I'm with them," Nudge sighed. She sounded like she wanted to hold on but just couldn't anymore. This was the formation- me in front, than Fang and Nudge behind, on either side, than Angel directly behind me, and then Gazzy and Iggy.

Max, they're tired. Let them rest. Even Fang is exhausted. And you are too. I sighed inside my mind.

_Alright Voice, _I conceded. _We will stop. But I am not happy about it. _

"Okay guys!" I hollered over the noise so everyone could hear me. "We're going to stop!" Then, something hit me. Did the Voice say that Fang was tired? I threw a glance his way and saw that his olive colored face was as unemotional as always, but the way he was flying tipped me off that the Voice might actually (for once) be correct. His left wing was tilting to one side and to most people, that wouldn't have made a difference, except that I happen to know that it is a more comfortable to have your left wing tilting to one side. It takes less energy and less thinking. A thought popped into my brain. Has there ever been a time when I pushed my flock too far? I quickly shook my head to rid it of that weird ponder and gently drifted downward. After several minutes, the Gasman cried, "Look! It's a hotel!" We glided down into a construction area near the hotel and walked to the front door of the hotel. It looked a like a rich-richie place if you ask me. "Whoa, this place is way too fancy, we should go somewhere else," I suggested. I was immediately surrounded with pleading faces. I sighed and made a gesture that meant they should go first. A tall man in a red hat smiled at us and opened the door, tipping the hat forward. Angel grinned at him and we went inside.

It was a bit fancy for us but that was okay. I walked up to a bald man in a pinstriped suit that was standing behind the front desk and was staring at a computer screen, typing something frantically.

"Umm, excuse me sir?" I said quietly and his large head snapped up, showing a crooked noise and a wide mouth.

"Yes, how can I help you?" His voice sounded like a messed up trumpet if you ask me. I stared at him for a second than made a gesture to my flock.

"We'd like three rooms please. It would be wonderful if they were connecting too, if that is possible." I tried to sound may sweetest. The man glared at me with narrowed eyes.

"And how old are you?" he asked.

"25," I answered quickly and the men then asked in a low tone, "And are these children yours, if you do not mind me asking?" He pointed at Angel and Gazzy. I stared at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I realized what he meant just as I uttered the words.

"Yes, they are her and my adopted children." I heard a voice from behind me and felt a strong arm around my waist. It was Fang. I felt my face heat up.

"And who are they?" the man asked, meaning Iggy and Nudge.

"The man is my stepbrother and this is his girlfriend," I lied, quickly catching on to our made up story. I saw Nudge understand and move a little closer to Iggy. The man looked at us for a while and said in an annoyed tone, "Alright what are your names?"

"Kyle and Maxine Ride," Fang replied.

"Will you two be sharing a room?"

"Yes."

"Will your children be in the same room?"

"No. Could you please make sure there are two beds in their room?" Fang asked curtly. The man nodded.

"And your stepbrother's name sir?"

"Alex Hoth and Maya Crystal," Iggy piped up and the man nodded again.

"Will you two be sharing a room?"

"Yes," Nudge added. The man typed something quickly than asked, "Regular or minisuite?"

"Minisuite!" Gazzy said before I could respond. I handed him the money and the man looked at us suspiciously again before Angel stepped forward.

"Thank you sir, we will go now, "she said, staring at him. The man looked dazed.

"I really need to see your ID's-," he protested.

"_Thank you,_" Angel said in a harder tone and the man nodded. He handed us our

keys and said, "Have a nice day."

"Thanks." I yelled over my shoulder as the six of us went into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, everyone began to talk excitedly over one another. I heard Iggy try to say something over the noise.

"So what's the deal? We just have to pretend that Nudge and I are dating and you and Fang are married and have adopted children?"

"Yup," I said before turning to Fang. "Why did you tell that guy all those lies?" He shrugged; a small smile flickered on his face.

"I don't know. I just thought that it might help." I turned away when I heard a small giggle from Angel.

HE'S LYING MAX. HE KNOWS HOW NUDGE FEELS ABOUT IGGY SO HE THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE NICE FOR HER TO PRETEND TO BE HIS GIRL FRIEND.

**Okay, but why did he say that he and I were married? And that you and Gazzy were our kids?**

BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU AND IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME THING WITH NUDGE. AND I AM LIKE A DAUGHTER TO HIM SO IT WOULD BE TOO DIFFICULT TO PRETEND.

**Fang loves me?**

YOU KNOW THAT YOU LOVE HIM TOO.

**Okay, Angel; I don't need the whole 'you and Fang should get together' speech again. It's not going to happen.**

YEAH, YEAH.

Then, she was gone. I sighed inwardly and waited for the doors to open. When we finally reached our hallway, I handed everyone a key; one to the Gasman, one to Nudge and kept the last for myself. Nudge and Iggy were across the hall and Angel and Gazzy were in the one next to mine and Fang's.

"Ready, honey?" I heard Fang murmur in my left ear. It left a tingling feeling that I didn't want to go away. I glanced at him and saw him smiling, which made my heart beat faster. I nodded and opened the door.

"Everyone," I announced before entering the room. "Stay indoors for a little while and then we'll go get something to wear at the mall because our clothes are not fancy enough for this place. We'll have dinner and finally go to bed. Okay?" Everyone grinned and we opened the doors. I heard Gazzy shriek with delight and Fang whisper, "Nice." It was nice. The windows had velvet drapes and the chairs were made of some sort of expensive fabric. There was a small kitchen and a little table to eat at. There were two white doors that led to the bedroom and I swung them open, to find that there was only one bed. I gulped.

"Fang!" I called. He came running and saw the bed quickly. His eyes went wide, but quickly, his nervousness slipped away.

"I call the right side," he exclaimed and I shoved him.

"What are we going to do?"

"We are going to sleep in it that's what. Hey, look a balcony!" I looked up and sure enough there was a balcony.

"Okay, this place is awesome!" I squealed and jumped on the bed, resting on the covers.

"Umm, Max…" I heard Nudge's uncertain voice from the door. My eyes flew to the big doors and saw a look of nervousness and embarrassment in her eyes.

"Yeah, honey?"

"Umm, there's only one…" she didn't finish when she saw the big canopy bed I was laying on. "You guys too?" I nodded.

"Nudge, honey, just pick a side and it's a big bed. I'm sure that you two won't be a bit near each other." Her face flushed.

"I want to sleep close to him but, I'm scared too." I thought about that.

"Nudge, why don't you tell him that you have feelings for him?"

"But what if he laughs? Then there will be all this awkwardness and it might ruin the whole mission!"

"It's up to you Nudge, but I would tell him." She turned away and went back to her room. Fang came in and lay next to me on the bed. He picked up the remote to the flat screen T.V. and I moved closer to him, putting my head on his chest. He shifted so half of my body was leaning on his and I felt his lips run across my hair. I sighed, but then murmured, "Fang, no relationships between you and me, remember?" However, my voice sounded odd and weak and Fang didn't stop. It was very soothing and after mumbling, "Good night," I fell asleep but not before hearing Fang chuckle quietly in my ear.

* * *

I woke up in a tank top and shorts under the covers of the bed, with Fang's arm under my shoulders and my leg on top of his.

"Hey, did you change me?" I asked him, my voice raspy. He looked at me and grinned.

"No, Angel did that. You've been asleep for an hour you know," he whispered softly. I stared at him. His dark eyes were glinting with love, his mouth was shaped into a small smile and his body was curved around mine protectively. I didn't ever want to move from this position. But I knew that I had to so I gently slipped from his hold and went to pull on a pair of jeans.

"Nudge has wanted to go shopping for a while. She's right outside, actually," Fang informed me. I went outside and saw Nudge sitting on the couch, talking quietly to Angel. Before I knew what was happening, I felt myself being pulled out the big windows and thrown into the sky. I snapped open my wings and I glanced back, only to see Angel with her white wings and Nudge with her brown wings following me. We flew in circles for a while than plummeted toward the ground. We landed just in front of the shopping mall and hurried into a store.

After forty-five minutes of convincing me to shop, trying on stuff and buying clothes, we exited the store with two bags on each arm and sunglasses on our heads. I had bought- a.) A pair of dark wash jeans and deep orange shorts, b.) A red t-shirt and a long sleeve shirt with a simple patterns, and c.) A green sweater and white jackets. Nothing too fancy, though Nudge did force me to get an amber, short, sleeveless dress and a yellow bikini. Nudge got- a.) A short black skirt and Capri's with floral designs, b.) a tight, shiny, black cami and a loose-fitting, white shirt, c.) one green belt, one orange one, one creamed colored, and a thick, blue and white plaid jacket, and finally d.) a soft, peach colored sweat sweater that clung to her torso, and lastly, a pale blue dress that fell to her knees and a silver belt tight around the waist. Angel just got a.) classic cut jeans with white pockets, b.) a t-shirt with a peace sign on it and a red striped shirt with blue dots, c.) a black, jean jacket and dark red dress with puffy sleeves, and d.) (this one I didn't like at all) a pink baby tee with swirls that showed her belly. We left very happy and we actually still had a great amount of money left!

Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy were sitting my room, each in a button down shirt and black pants- Fang had a dark one, Iggy a yellow one, and Gazzy a green one. When we came into the room, Fang snorted.

"Guys, we are on a mission, _not _a shopping spree," he joked. I smelled something suspicious (literally) and sniffed him.

"Oh that's why you are wearing cologne then?" I shot back and he grinned. We let the boys talk and went to put on our dresses in the bathroom. Nudge messed with my hair and it actually turned out nicely. When we came out, the boys whistled and Iggy smiled big.

**Angel, why is Iggy smiling?**

I JUST SENT HIM AN IMAGE OF NUDGE. HE THINKS SHE LOOKS AMAZING.

**Looks like someone's love life is getting exciting. **Speaking of love life… I glanced at Fang and he caught my eye. I walked over to him and he eyed me.

"You look like-" he started but I cut him off.

"Like a girl, I know," I murmured. He allowed himself a crooked smile.

"I was GOING to say that you look nice," Fang explained and I blushed a tiny bit. The Gasman was checking his watch.

"Guys, if we want dinner, we've got to get going," he reminded us. Everyone got into their position; me holding onto Fang's arm, Angel holding onto my hand and Gazzy next to her, and finally, there was Iggy and Nudge, holding hands and looking happy (I noticed that both the latter and the former were blushing furiously).

**Angel, you and the Gasman have to act like normal siblings; you know fight and mess with each other. **

YOU GOT IT, she responded. As soon as we set foot in the Lobby, Angel stepped on Gazzy's foot, hard. He gasped and turned to her.

"OW!" he said at first, but then the look of confusion on his face disappeared. Angel smiled at him.

"Oops," she said. He growled and pushed her.

"Hey!!" she exclaimed and turned to me.

"Mom! Lester's being mean," she complained, trying to hold back a smile.

"Haley, Lester, settle down, settle down," I said, trying to sound like a calm, caring mother. Fang leaned over and kissed my cheek to make it seem even more real. Or at least, I think that was what his motives were. We entered the dining room and took a seat. There was a huge dance floor, and people twirling around in dresses with intricate designs. After ordering, we just sat there and watched the other people in the room. I glanced around and saw this old couple watching us, noticing how we weren't socializing. I started a boring conversation with Iggy but they still glared. Suddenly, this song started to play and Nudge perked up. She glanced at the couple and (also seeing their curiosity) turned to Iggy.

"Honey, can we dance? I looove this song and it's so boring here. Please?" she pleaded convincingly, touching his arm gently. He smirked and said, "But '_sweetie_', you know that I can't dance!" They argued and finally, Nudge led him out to the dance floor. The couple had seemed a bit satisfied so I relaxed. Nudge and Iggy danced clumsily and laughed the entire time. Then, a slow song began to play and both went ridged. I gestured for Nudge to dance with him. She stiffly took his hand and put the other on his shoulder. He wrapped one arm around her waist and they swayed for the entirety of the song. Finally, it ended and stepped away from each other. The other people began to take their eyes off us and I accidently asked the waiter for a stronger drink (I was drinking wine). Boy, would I be sorry later!


	5. Chapter 5

**Jeez, I hate homework. Still managed to update this. **

Chapter 5- Hung Over Kansas

The next morning, I awoke with a huge headache. I was lying in my bed, Fang's arms were around me, and the first morning rays were peeking through the thick curtains. I gently moved myself from Fang's grasp and stood, pulling on a long t-shirt that was laying on the floor; I'm not sure if it was his or mine. Suddenly, a sickening feeling came over me and I began to tremble. Sprinting to the big bathroom, I arrived just in time to retch into the shiny toilet, making a tremendous noise. I straightened at first but immediately fell to my knees and threw up some more. Fang came rushing in, holding my hair back.

"What's the matter?" he asked, worried. I turned to answer when I felt something in my throat and I threw up once more, this time on his slippers. Fang didn't ask any more questions after that. A little while later, when I was feeling better, lying on the bed with a cool towel on my forehead, Fang went to clean his shoes and Nudge, Iggy, and Angel came into to comfort me.

"You don't have a fever," Nudge noticed.

"Max you can't die! We won't be able to have a proper funeral!" Iggy chuckled. If I wasn't feeling so crummy I would've punched him in the arm.

"I just have a hangover that's all," I explained.

"What's a hangover?" Nudge asked.

"It's when you drank too much alcohol and you just feel terrible. Even though I feel like crap, I don't think that it is life threatening," I said weakly. And that's when I fell asleep.

Later that day, I woke up. I was alone and feeling drowsy, but better. Fang came in with some food a little later and he sat down with me.

"Feeling better?" he asked, stroking my tangled hair. I nodded.

"Fang, what do you think MEGA wants from us?" I wondered aloud. He shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Maybe they just wanted to get rid of us so we couldn't tell the world about what has happened to us in the past." I considered this, but then shook my head.

"But if that was the case, then why would they have a website on Google that tells all about what they did to us?" I pondered further. Sighing, I sat up, and getting a blood rush.

"We should probably get going, I want to reach Kansas by nightfall," I said, starting to dress. 15 minutes later, we were all in the hall, ready to go. I noticed that the Gasman was smiling like he had something to hide and so did Iggy. We got in the elevator and pressed the Lobby button.

**Angel??**

YES MAX?

**Why do your brother and Iggy look suspicious?? **I could almost see her smiling in my head.

IT'S BECAUSE THEY CREATED A NEW BOMB LAST NIGHT THAT CAN DESTROY EVERYTHING WITHIN 20 FEET OF IT.

**How in the world…**

DON'T ASK ME: ASK THEM.

When we reached the Lobby, the bellman guy waved to us and we all waved back. Heading back to the construction site, we took a running start and sped off into the air. My balance was a little off from the hangover, but eventually I led the flock with confidence.

We flew for a while, but the skies were starting to darken and we decided to head downward. We landed in a cornfield in Kansas, because the winds were too strong.

"Where are we?" Iggy asked. I told him.

"I think that I am allergic to corn," Nudge sneezed. She sneezed again…and again…and again.

"Uh-oh," Angel muttered.

"It's not that bad Angel- it's just allergies," I said.

"No that's not it…" she replied warily, looking at the sky. We all looked up, except for Iggy, who just looked confused.

"What is it?" I pestered.

"A torna- something, is coming," she said.

"A tornado?"

"Yeah, that," she looked nervous. My brow furrowed.

"How do you know that?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"I don't know, I just…FEEL that it is going to come," Angel said. I looked at Fang and he looked at me.

"Mutation?" I whispered to him and he nodded.

"What so, like, Angel can-achoo!-like, tell the weather now?" Nudge sneezed again.

"AGAIN?" the Gasman seemed annoyed. "Sheesh, some people get all the luck."

"I wouldn't call it _luck, _Gazzy," Fang said under his breath.

"What about the tornado?" Iggy appeared uneasy.

"What is a tornado?" asked Gazzy.

"It's a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, especially in the Mid-West and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and is made visible by condensation and debris," came Nudge's voice. We all turned to her.

"HUH?" I asked.

"I _said _'it's a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, especially in the Mid-West and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and is made visible by condensation and debris'**,**" she repeated. Our eyes bulged out of our sockets.

"How in the WORLD-" Nudge shrugged and interrupted.

"When I was at that school before, I learned that I could memorize things really quick. And we, like, studied all the different kinds of weather- tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods."

"Sounds like happy subjects," I said.

"Guys, the _tornado_," Iggy pressed.

"Yeah; where are we going to go?" the Gasman looked at me expectantly and so did everyone else. I didn't a clue of what to do, but there was NO way I was going to admit it.

"The winds are starting up; it would be dangerous to fly," I stated the obvious. "And we do not want to get stuck in that tornado." Again with the obvious. I glanced around for something, anything, and I saw a little shed a couple yards away.

"There," I said, starting toward it. To be honest, I didn't know what good a little shed was going to be against the big, bad tornado, but hey- what else could I do?

The wind was definitely kicking up and the sky was darkening. It looked fierce and unforgiving. I pushed my flock into the shed, and saw something that made me shiver; the twister was starting to be visible, leaving destruction in its path and throwing up trees and dirt. I closed the door quickly.

"Hey!" I heard Iggy yell. He had to yell to be heard over the wind. "There's a trapdoor!" We squatted down next to him and opened the latch.

"It's our safest bet!" I shouted and pushed Angel through the hole.

The twister was almost here.

Iggy and Nudge went next and I looked around for the Gasman, who I was about to throw in next. I saw him near the door, watching the tornado with wide eyes. At that moment, the door was ripped from the hinges and, to my horror; Gazzy was swept out the door.

"GASMAN!" I screeched, lunging after him, but Fang grabbed my shirt and held me back. I struggled and squealed. Fang wasn't letting go. I was dazed. In a moment, Gazzy was gone, gone with the wind. I stared at Fang in despair and heard that the tornado was almost on us. A gust of wind crept up my shirt. Fang glared back sadly.

"Go," he whispered and threw me toward the trapdoor. I fell beside it and was about to get to my feet when Fang pushed me down. Then, I heard a sickly crackling. The shed was coming apart. With one last attempt, I scrambled away from Fang and stopped dead in my tracks.

The twister was right there next to us. And when I saw here, I mean freaking RIGHT THERE. It was dark and overpowering and terrifying. I had no chance. No matter how strong I wanted to be, I couldn't live through this.

I realized what I had to do and dove into the hole. Fang was right behind me, slamming the trapdoor shut. I kept my eyes shut, tears leaking out. My chest was shaking with sobs. I felt Fang hold me as the tornado rolled over our shelter, shaking us all. I couldn't believe it; Gazzy was gone. He couldn't have survived that…that nightmare. And I wouldn't accept it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Gazzy's Wing and Madness

We stayed in the hole for a while, shivering and huddling next to each other. I think we were all afraid that the tornado would decide to double back and get us if we went out. I felt vulnerable, my eyes puffy from crying. Fang had his arm around me, and I could tell he was feeling desperate too. Iggy was holding Angel's hand and Nudge was cowering into his shoulder. We had a tiny lighter that Iggy kept. In an irritating manner, I continuously flipped it open and closed for entertainment. _Flip, fire, close, flip, fire, close, flip, fire, close._

"We're all going to become flaming foie gras if you don't stop doing that," Fang chuckled.

"You don't even know what foie gras is," I snapped. I was angry at him for pulling me back from saving the Gasman. In the back of my mind, though, I knew he had done the right thing.

"Isn't it duck organs?" Iggy asked from the darkness.

"Duck liver," Angel clarified.

"Eww," Nudge decided to contribute to the conversation. I made an aggravated noise in the back of my throat. They went silent. I started flipping again.

"Seriously, we're going to be some hot tamales," Fang nudged me and I threw the lighter on the ground. The darkness was felt colder than before.

"So do you think...," Angel let her voice trail off. We all knew what she was implying. Fang had explained what had happened while I cried.

"I don't think so," my voice cracked and Fang gripped my arm. In the corner, Nudge had found the lighter, and she was watching the flame curiously. It lit up her face, which was sullen. I saw that Iggy's face was pained and Angel's desperate. Fang's would look emotionless like always, but I suddenly wondered what I looked like right then.

I sighed and got to my knees. My arms were sore, my hands red from clutching my jeans. The flock watched me as I pushed on the trapdoor; it opened with a clang. The first thing that I felt was rain. And I don't mean like little droplets that cheerleaders run from with their pompoms over their heads but heavy duty, pouring rain. I was glad that my tears couldn't be noticed anymore and jumped out onto to flattened cornstalks. To my surprise, the shed was gone- just pieces of plank wood here and there.

My subconscious looked around for Gazzy's crumpled and lifeless body but luckily I saw none. I think seeing him dead would just give me the shove I needed to jump over the edge. And, when over the edge, I wasn't good to anybody. The flock came out behind me and stared around in shock. The pouring rain flattened my hair, making it stick to my cheeks awkwardly. The rain was noiseless, falling silently. When it hit the ground though, it made a little _plop! _sound.

Through the noiseless droplets and plopping sounds, I heard moaning. I cringed; it sounded like the Gasman. Impossible.

_Not impossible, Maximum, _the Voice decided to chime into my delusions.

_Are you EVER going to tell me who you are? _My mind was angry, angst.

_No. _The response was simple; final. I didn't like that one bit.

_Whatever. _

_He's not dead, Max_, the Voice continued. I stopped in mid-step.

_ Huh?_

_ The moaning-he's not dead. _Okay, the Voice of reason was losing its mind too. Great- where did that leave me?

_ Max, _the Voice sounded aggravated. If a strange voice trapped inside your head can sound aggravated.

_ What? _I was irritated too.

_ He's _not _dead, _it persisted.I began to get thoughtful.

"Gazzy?" I called. _I'm so insane. _Iggy murmured something that sounded like, 'What the heck?'

I listened intently. As if answering my call, there was a groan, somewhere to my left.

I felt my heart beating faster.

"GAZZY?" I shouted back.

The groan was louder; it almost sounded like…Max.

"_GAZZY!_" I ran toward the whimpering and after a while, found, lying between some still-standing corn stalks, the Gasman.

He was a sight- Gazzy had both arms bent to the side, one leg lifted so his thigh touched his stomach and was breathing hard. He was bruised and battered and covered in feathers. Beside all that, I was elated.

"Oh, Gasman," I sighed and kissed his forehead, the only place he wasn't hurt.

"Ma'?" Gazzy opened his clenched eyes, staring at me with innocent eyes. "Max!" In the next few moments, the flock was surrounding the Gasman, all looking jubilant. Tears filled my eyes. It seemed impossible, but here he was; tattered, yet alive.

"My…" the Gasman grimaced and cried out. Iggy felt for broken bones.

"No…my…w…" Gazzy yelped.

"Your what, Gasman?" I bent over him like Iggy.

"Wing," he coughed. My heart almost stopped.

"What about your wing, honey?"

That is about when Nudge screamed.

My head snapped up to see what she was looking at and I almost screamed myself. Underneath Gazzy's broken body were his wings. One was looking fine, but the other bloodied and twisted into a tangle of feathers. I got to my feet and took deep breaths.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Angel bent down and the Gasman managed to nod. I looked at Fang, my eyes filled with, "What are we going to do?" He stared back, giving my nothing. Iggy was shuddering.

"I feel a lot of damage," he said as he felt the wing. Nudge sat down and felt it too.

"The wing is dislocated," she stated and Gazzy moaned. Angel was staring at the wing and the Gasman suddenly screamed. Nudge jumped about a foot and Iggy recoiled. Angel sat stiff and continued to stare. Gazzy was screaming still.

"M-a-k-k-e-e-e-e…it sto-o-o-p-p-p-!" he cried and squirmed. I watched Angel, her back tense as she focused on something.

"PLEASE!!" the Gasman moaned and tears ran down his dirty face. Nudge was trembling with fear. Iggy grabbed her, pulling her to his chest and Fang was ridged by my side.

And Angel was motionless.

The painstaking screams continued. We didn't know what to do. We were all in shock, reacting in our own way. My eyes were shut, which unfortunately made the cries more unworldly. Thankfully, I didn't have to see him in pain.

For once, I didn't know what was happening. I couldn't use my strength to help him- I was virtually useless.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Gazzy!" I threw myself on the ground at his feet and sobbed.

"It's alright Max," came Angel's strange, vacant voice. Through my tears, I could see that her eyes were unseeing, like Iggy's. She had her hand lifted and gave a tiny smile. Her smile was maniac, like she had lost her mind.

Maybe she had.

I grabbed her, shook her, slapped her, without response. My heart beat faster.

"Angel!" I yelled at her. That smile grew broader. She gave an insane little giggle.

"Oh Max!" she laughed and laughed. I was shaking.

_Max, look, _I heard the Voice say softly. I snapped my head towards Gazzy and realized that he was screaming anymore. He was asleep, snoring! Angel was still and she was asleep too, making tiny whimpering noises. My hands were slippery and she fell on the ground, smiling.

"Max?" Nudge was touching my back. I didn't turn. I felt myself drifting closer to that edge I had been avoiding.

"MAX?" Fang's voice now. I looked at him and smiled. He stared at me, his eyes scared.

"Uh-huh?" I giggled. I shut my eyes, humming. _Am I losing my mind? _

"Maximum, love, stay with me," his voice was urgent and I felt pressure on my lips. He was kissing me. I smiled gently.

"Maximum," I murmured. "What a nice name."

Someone screamed, and it was abruptly muffled.

"She's tired," I heard another voice.

"Sleep Maximum," my love's voice trembled. "And please wake up."

"Yeah…yaa…" I grinned and little tiny singing voices overcame my mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**I know that the end of the last chapter was kind of weird but I was just writing, not really thinking ahead. Right now, I'm sort of in a weird mood. So…just a warning. **

Chapter 7- Songs and Screams

My bare feet dangled over the cliff. It was big and deep and dark. I was humming to myself; it was a soft, sweet tune and I shut my eyes. The day was beautiful- not a cloud in the sky, and the sun was a beacon. Under me, the ground began to shiver. It trembled and shuddered. My eyes snapped to attention. The motion was peaceful so I went with it. _Sway, sway, sway. _The cliff was growing closer, and closer and closer still. Tiny, tinney voices were humming somewhere in my subconscious. The cliff was widening, the gap becoming an infinity of darkness. I traced the lines of the rock and they swirled in my pupils, slowly becoming a maze. The movement was more abrupt now.

I was taking in my surroundings. It was bare- dirt and rock as far as the eye could see.

The cliff was quickly over taking me. My thighs were hanging and soon, my hips. I grabbed the cliff edge. Suddenly, it seemed stupid- I had wings. Almost involuntarily, my hand reached and touched my back.

It was flat.

There were no wings.

I was wingless.

I screamed and the cliff over took me. I held on but the abyss was sucking me like water down the drain. I was going to fall.

Faces, familiar faces, leaned over the edge, staring.

"Help…me," I whispered. My flock grabbed my arms and they pulled me up. The movement stopped. The cliff stopped expanding. I glanced at my friends.

"I don't have wings," the words were faint. The flock recoiled, horrified, disgusted. They frowned. I was ashamed. I'd never felt ashamed before. In fact, I didn't even feel ashamed- I wanted to jump over the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, a little voice penetrated my cloudy mind.

"Oh no Max, don't jump," the little voice was as sweet as a flute. I turned to the little blond-haired girl, her wide blue eyes innocent. I smiled at her. Her face was worried and I urgently wanted to reassure the little girl.

"Don't worry, Angel: I won't," I said.

**Do you GET the metaphor?? If not, okay. I know its short, I'm working on the next one. I'm outta my 'vague', weird phase so the next chaps'll be clearer and more Fax and more characters. When I say characters, I mean people, not letters :) But there'll be more of those too. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hii!! I know that it's been a while since an update. Sorry. Happy (late) holidays! If you've been following my other story (Forgotten), you know that I haven't updated much. Plus I had written a lot BUT I hit a wrong button and it all got deleted. I was really mad and kind of lost my spirits. Anyway, this chapter is just kind of a filler chapter- but don't dismiss it- there's a lot happening in here. Enjoy and keep reading. Yeah I know- its pretty long.**

**-MEGGEM**

Chapter 8- The Meat Packing Plant

Sweating and gasping, I awoke. My hand reached out to make sure I wasn't hanging over the cliff and luckily, I wasn't. All around, it was black and even my radar vision couldn't penetrate the darkness. I spluttered, trembling, remembering the horrifying metaphor. Was it what I thought it was? A metaphor? My subconscious was trying to tell me something and I wasn't an idiot.

I was very, very close to losing my mind.

The cliff was CLEARLY the "edge" I was referring to in the back of my mind. It was that horrible place, the stress-filled, panic filled space where I couldn't hold it together.

_Very good, Max. _

Oh, crap.

_Hi Voice, how are you? _I grit my teeth. If it wasn't going to be going away, than I'd better get used to it.

_I'm fine, _it almost sounded humorous. Not freaking possible.

_Why? Why am I losing my mind? I didn't have problems with this before and I was under a lot more stress than_! I wanted some answers.

_You are not adapting to the stress well- you have been relaxing for a long time. No problems. But suddenly there is pressure and you can't deal with it_. The words were harsh, true, and firm. I still hated them.

_You're in good voice today- spent any time with Nudge?_

Don't be sour, Max. Toughen up. This wasn't my Voice. I mean, it was actually MY VOICE- my conscious. It was right- I was soft. I had had it too easy for too long and I was paying for it. Life with mom had taken the warrior out of me.

I had to get back in shape. My wittiness was fading fast.

"You okay?" a rough voice came out of nowhere. I jumped and turned around. A set of white teeth were curled into a grin. They stood out in the dark. Fang.

Fang- he was part of the problem. He made me feel happy…special…soft. Even thinking his name- hearing his voice- made me glow.

"I'm fine," I snapped then regretted my tone. He shouldn't have to hurt because I couldn't hold it together.

A warm thing touched my arm. After a moment, I realized it was his hand and I jerked away. The silence was heavy and thick. I resisted the urge to hyperventilate, biting my lip for comfort.

"Where are we?" the mysterious surroundings penetrated my bubble of thought again.

Maybe I was dead. Maybe Fang was a hallucination and the Voice was my torture for the rest of eternity. Maybe-

"We're in a storage room of a meat-packing plant a couple miles from the tornado. We came to hide- but the door doesn't open from in here," he replied. His voice was slightly somber- my heart sank._ How could I make him happy but stay away from him at the same time? _

"But Gazzy-" I gasped.

"Fine. They're all fine. Angel, well, has mutated again." The information stung. _How long had I been out?_

"She cured him," Fang continued. Well. It made a strange sort of sense- the scene from the field came back in little piece: Angel's vacant eyes…the Gasman screaming, squirming…her back tense as she focused…his begging…

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"_OH._"

"Are you afraid?" Fang was serious. In truth, I was little scared. Angel was so…different. But he was not going to know that.

"You suicidal?" I grinned. I got a chuckle in return.

"Only when Nudge starts talking," he responded. Suddenly his arm wrapped around my shoulder. For a second, I leaned my head on his bicep, and then realized what I was doing. Abruptly, I pulled away, crawling against the other wall, waiting for his reaction.

There was a small sound as he shifted but nothing else.

"I'm…sorry," my voice was small and maybe unacknowledged. I was. For everything.

"You promised me-us that you wouldn't scare us again, remember?" the words were sharp- I winced. The beach seemed so long ago.

"I remember."

"Nudge was screaming."

"I'm sorry." The words were hurting me. I wanted to fight- this just made me feel guilty. I wanted to be angry.

"You've broken it before." Huh? I didn't. How could he accuse me of this?

"What?" Anger was starting to build up.

"You don't know how it felt- when I saw the ring."

Oh.

"Well, would you look at Mr. Impassive- getting all emotional and whatnot," I sneered. "You KNOW that I had no choice. The Director would have…would have…." _He didn't realize the sacrifice that I was making?_

"Would have what?" his voice was hard.

"She was going to kill us."

"Someone's always trying to kill us."

"Not like this. She…showed me…everything. How Iggy became blind- how they injected the DNA- and how they got rid of experiments like us. They weren't just going to kill us- they were going to torture us too. I couldn't talk my way out of it." My world flashed red. The truth spilled out of me. He had to know.

"They already had you guys captured. And- she made me keep my promise…she put something into me. If I defied her…I don't know….and you! You only care about yourself! Don't you CARE?" I finished my monologue breathing hard. My teeth were clenched.

Fang didn't respond. Maybe he was hurt or angry but I didn't care either way.

_Calm down, Max. You need to stick together. _Now was not the time, Voice!

"Shut UP!" I screamed at it and my arm swung out to punch the wall. Fang made no noise.

Calm down, Max, I told myself. It's okay. I could feel myself toughening up.

"Where's my Flock?" I asked the darkness.

"Well, we were sleeping," Iggy's voice rang out.

Uh-oh.

My body froze. How much had they heard?

"How long have you been up?" Fang asked for me.

"I woke up when I heard the word 'blind' but I don't know about everyone else," Iggy answered.

"I heard something about being suicidal," the Gasman piped up.

"What's suicidal?" Angel demanded.

"I heard something about a zing?" Nudge contributed.

"We didn't say 'zing'," Fang sounded like he was going to laugh.

"Oh. It was ring then."

"What ring?"

"_What's suicidal?" _

"Who has a ring?"

I sighed. Thanks, Nudge.

"Everyone- it was nothing. Don't worry about it. Now, how do we get out of here??" Forget Fang, I thought. Focus.

I tried to stand up but succeeded in banging my head.

"Ow."

"Why is there steam?" Fang asked. I glanced up and saw that steam was floating just above my head. I must have hit a vent. My fingers grabbed onto the sides of the grate and yanked. It didn't move.

"Nudge?"

"Yeah?"

"I need you to undo these screws," I moved aside for her to step up. 3 minutes later, the grate tumbled to the floor with a clang.

"Way to go Nudge," I heard Iggy murmur. My lips smirked.

"Okay, Fang- give me a boost up," I asked. I didn't really want him too- but he was the strongest. Other than me of course.

His hands grabbed my legs- and jerked up.

"OUCH! Wait until I'm under the vent, Fang!" I snapped and swore under my breath.

"Sorry." He didn't sound very sorry. We tried again and I made it into the hole.

"There's nothing here- wait- there's a dim light at the end. I think we can get to it," I called back down.

Five minutes later, we were all in the vent; crawling on our hands and knees.

"Oh- I hate this steam. My hair is all wet and flat; yuck. Why couldn't we have, like, all run at the door and try to break through it? That works sometimes- I saw it in a movie. See, all these people were running and the door just like- AHHH!" I snapped around and saw Nudge hanging from her hands underneath the vent. She made a huge hole and was screaming.

"NUDGE!" Iggy, who was right behind me, spun around and grabbed her hand.

"Pull me up, up, up! I'm hanging over a...a meat grinder! Get me up! Up!" We all pulled on her arms and she shot up. We sat breathing hard then looked at each other. If the vent couldn't hold Nudge than-

"HURRY!" Fang said and we crawled faster. The light was coming closer- thank God. The vent started to crack.

"Hurry, out!" I shoved the grate in front of me and we all tumbled out into another storage room. This one had workers and they started at us, dumbfounded. We panted then took off. Angel stayed for a second, staring at the people.

"Those uniforms are really not very good-looking. Tell your manager to get the-"

"Angel!!" I bellowd and she scampered after us.

Huge double doors were at the end of hall and my Flock burst through them, sunlight lighting my face.

"Ah," I sighed. Fang came up on my right and stared at me.

"Well never did that before," he said and I nodded, smiling a little. His hair was hanging in his eyes, wet from steam.

"You look like you took a sauna with clothes on," I giggled. The fight was somewhat forgotten, but it lingered in the air between us.

"Where are we?" the Gasman asked wisely. I looked around for clues and a little ways away, a sign read, '30 miles to Kansas City.'

"We're still in Kansas?" Iggy asked.

"No, we're in Missouri," Fang replied. I smiled.

"And not too far from the house- its on the border of Iowa. We'll make it by sundown."

"I'm tired," the Gasman grumbled. I saw everyone else nod.

"Oh come on guys- it'll only take us a few hours!" I continued.

They glanced at their feet and bit their lips. I frowned.

"Where's my strong flock gone? What do you want to do? Sit here and camp? We need to get there- then we can relax. Come on!" I said and threw out my wings.

I couldn't be the kind mom anymore; I needed to be the warrior.

We took off and landed at the house about 4 hours later. It was just like Jeb told me: low-roofed and wooden. It was barely a house, with five rooms and bad indoor plumbing. But the beds were comfortable and lot's of food so we all cheered at the arrival.

What was rest of the day flew by- eating a hearty dinner and the smacking fists were the highlights. We each had our own bed- my preference because Fang and I together wouldn't be helpful. I pressed my head against the pillow (which smelled a bit like must) and fell into a dreamless sleep.

I didn't realize I would be woken by a nightmare: Angel's scream, accompanied by a pair of glowing red eyes in the dark.

**So cliffhanger. Don't usually do those but- oh what the heck! Might as well have some fun. :) Getting to the shack was quick, but I wanted to move on. I'll try not to wait tooo long for another chapter. I'll try not be laazy. Bydbye- don't give up on me! (PS. I wrote another story while you guys were waiting -sorry. Its called "Turn on the Nudge Channel" And if you like Niggy- than read it :) )**

**-MEGGEM**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello!! It's been a while. But I'm not apologizing...just kidding. Really, really, really, really sorry.**

**But I am kind of disappointed that NO ONE reviewed the other chapter I updated :( Hopefully this one will get some reviews. **

**On that note- enjoy!!! **

**-MEGGEM**

(REMEMBER, THEY ARE IN A CABIN IN IOWA)

(Max's POV)

"ANGEL? ANGEL?" my voice vibrated in my lungs, leaving a puff of white in the air. My eyes never left the glowing ovals just a wingspan away. They blinked once. I got to my feet quietly, wide awake and ready for action.

The cabin was absolute darkness, cold and still, before my panic awakened the night.

"MAX?" a voice yelped. Nudge.

"Angel?" called Fang.

"What the hell!" Iggy, of course.

Hands construed from the black, constricting around me and a sharp pain pinched my left wing. "ACH!" I yelled, pushing and kicking, punching anything (though it was mostly the wall) and struggling to be free from the stone-like hands.

A drosiness settled in my mind, like a blanket falling lazily on a bed. _Hmm_, I though. _Hmmm_.

_Max! Stay up, keep fighting! _the Voice shoved it's way through the haze. _MAX! _

Unstable on my feet, I was hustled into the main room, fighting feebly and blinking spastically. _Hmmm..._

Nudge's yells intertwined with mine and Gazzy's, Fang silent as usual next door, but shuffling noises penetrated the thin wall. Iggy was still cursing profusely, his white body jerking through the living room.

_Hmmm..._

**Max, they injected you!! Stay awake! Max? **an angel's voice broke the web of confusion. It slapped awake my senses and I shook like a wet dog. The cobra wound tighter.

A gag was stuffed between my teeth, tasting of blood. Yuckedy, yuck.

"MMmmm!!" I screamed into the rag, kicking and scratching once more, determined to remain conscious. Fang's body came into view. His dark eyes showed defeat and a long slash bled severely. Red dripped along his cheek.

Though I couldn't see my offenders, my instinct told me that they were intelligent and ruthless. My flock was laid on the floor eventually, pain itching all of us and lined up like sardines.

The strangest thing happened. A sticky substance worked it's way around us, like a...net. Pincers scratched my face, at least they seemed like pincers. Eight hairy legs loomed over us. A window shattered at the Gasman's screech. "SPI-spid-errsss!"

A coarse voice chuckled. "Yes, many people have that response." A visage, utterly disgusting and ugly, faced me now. The mouth was bloody and tongueless and teethless, yet a vicious smile was achieved. The eyes were dark holes, like a snake's hole in the ground. I'd like to say there was a nose, but I'd be lying.

_Ew. _

"Don't worry, pussy-cat," the face twisted into a remarkable expression that attempted comfort. "We'll take...good care of y'a."

I spit in his face.

The spiderman chuckled again and turned away. His net (a web) stuck tighter. He snapped his fingers and other ugly manifestations, our captures, pulled us along. After being bumped prodded serveral times, my eyes closed (against the shouting of Angel and the Voice). The drosiness took over.

* * *

You don't want to wake up, staring at the most disgusting creatures on Earth, with your two most (wait two of three) most hated people standing nearby. And, I forgot to mention, also locked inside a cage.

"She's awake!" an unfamiliar voice called out and a shadow loomed over my prison. I gathered up some saliva for another bulls-eye, but a spiderman didn't appear.

Instead, it was...a handsome face. A very handsome face. Auburn hair cut short, deep green eyes, and full lips. My brow furrowed.

"Hello," the person moved closer. A hand shimmied it's way between the bars and waited to be shook. It was going to be a waiting a long time.

"Riley, don't get too close- she'll bite you!" A laugh echoed in my cage.

I cringed. _Wonderful._ Now, that voice I knew.

"Hey, Ron," I struggled over the last word. "Why don't you crawl over and I'll _demonstrate._"

"Now- that's no way to talk to your fiance," the horrid man chuckled, kneeling next to Riley and staring me right in the eyes. I shivered. There was somethings strange in his gaze, an evilness that always gleamed darkly, but when he looked at me...I couldn't put my bloodied finger on it.

"Ron, darling-"

And therrree she was- soon to be Mommy.

"Oh, hello Director," I grumbled. "Come join the party!"

Abruptly, my cage was jerked upside down and I tumbled hard onto the lab floor. It was white and smelled of chemicals, like usual.

"I hope our...guards weren't too rough with you, Maxy, those were my generous orders," the Director grinned proudly, swinging her hair back like in a pageant.

"Yeah, yeah, thank ya," I said, still POed from being dumped on the floor like a sack of potatoes. My body righted itself and pulled upward- my eyes glaring into my 'mother's'.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure yet," Riley smiled, stepping forward. His slinky movement reminded me of a cat- persuasive, yet deadly. The man's eyes were feline as well.

"Riley Gordon," I realized, from the site online. "You're the founder."

"Right, right- I put the Gordon in Mutant Experimentation Gordon Association," He laughed at his own joke and my eyes couldn't stop from rolling. "You were out for a while; care for some tea?" The man held out a china cup, which I regarded disdainfully and answered with a flick of my hand. The cup went flying into the air, crashing onto the floor with a splintering sound. Riley's face was hard now. The tightness of the jaw, the black of his eye ballooning, he cleared his throat. "Very well."

I turned my back on him, examining the room quickly. A polished lap table, gleaming with instruments, file cases, dark windows in contrast to the blinding white walls...a standard lab room. However in the far corner, stood a pile of cages...all to big for large dogs. I gasped.

Instinctively, I started toward the cages, but a hand gripped my shoulder. Ron.

"Come with me Max," he whispered in my ear. Not exactly gently was I pulled out the room and down a long corridor. As soon as we were out of site, my knee went out and hit Ron right between the legs.

"Ohhh," he chuckled, pressing my body against the wall. "Not necessary, baby." I hit him in the head, behind the ears, and kicked his shins multiple times. Ron was going down, but there was suddenly a beeping sound and my entire body went ridged.

I wish I could describe the feeling out being electrocuted from the inside. It's like being on fire, times a hundred. I cried out and bit my lip so hard that blood stained my tongue.

Ron stared at me and there was another sound. "I don't like seeing you in pain," he confessed, yanking me onto his shoulder and soon, we were hurrying down another hallway and entering another room. This one was dim and like a hotel room. A bed took up much space and Ron placed me down.

Still shuddering from the fire, I laid down without complaint, wanting to get up but not finding the will. "Where's...my flock," I choked out.

"They are fine...shh," his voice was sweeter, softer than in the lab room. "Max, you probably don't believe me, but I'm not such a bad guy. Just because Mom's a pyscho doesn't mean I am."

I tried to comprehend this information. "Why did you force me to marry you- I don't love you okay! And I've seen how you treated those experiments before, when we were captured earlier, you're horrible!"

Ron sat back on his haunches and his expression seemed pained. "My mother...I...I do like you, Max," he whispered, voice pleading. Suddenly, there was weight on me and a hand touched my face. Shocked, I glared into Ron's eyes.

"Please, Max," he gasped, lips moist. The man leaned in, finger stroking my cheekbones. I sighed and hot breath caressed my face.

_Fang, Fang, Fang…_The Voice was in my head again and kept repeating that one word. _Fang, Fang, Fang. _

"FANG!" I gasped and opened my eyes. Ron was less than a centimeter away, now, ready. I pushed his chest away from me, but there seemed to be no stopping him.

His lips brushed mine and a warm feeling tickled the inside of my stomach. A flush started at my neck.

"Max," his voice whispered, and I exhaled. _Fang, Fang…_

Fingers tickled my ribs and arms. They drifted lower, and my mind shot back up its defenses. Immediately, I jumped up with all my weight. Ron was thrown on the floor and he groaned.

I was breathing hard, from our encounter. Slowly, I made my way to the door and dashed out.

How could I be so stupid!? Being a female could really be a pain. What the heck happened to my 'warrior' instead of 'girl' motto????

In truth, my heart hurt at the thought of Ron. I did sort of believe him- Ron did love me. _But I love Fang. And there was no way Ron and I were to be married. Unfortunately, that chip the Director had planted in me is electrifying. UGH! I've had it up to HERE with those chips. _

Running didn't make much sense anymore. The hallway was longer than I could see and the small lights seemed endless.

How am I going to get out of here?!!__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a round room, with no doors or windows, Iggy lay on his back, bones aching. They had strapped him down- thick, metal pieces tugged at his clothing. The room smelled clean, a fresh smell. But his fear overtook everything else. He had called for his friends, his family, but no one came. He screamed at the white coats, taunting them, accusing them. They had not responded. He was left alone in his suffering.

The slightest sound was a crash to him, the flickering of a switch, the turning of pages. What caught his attention were the footsteps, coming in his direction- they sounded like thunder.

"James," a low woman's voice shattered his silence like a bullet and he breathed in relief at some human contact.

"How- who-"

"That...black girl has been asking for you...we dealt with her quickly," the woman answered again. Iggy's blood boiled at her condescending tone when she spoke of Nudge.

"Get me the hell out of h-"

"No, no, we are here to help you, James," there was a ruffling of clothing as she bent down. "You see, we are trying to find out our mistakes. Trying to learn, in a way. And you were a victim of our terrible mistake. So we are attempting to make it right."

Iggy's heart nearly stopped. There was more movement in the room, but he barely heard them. "Are- you suggesting that you are restoring my sight?" His throat tasted and felt like sandpaper.

"That's exactly what I am saying."

"Can you do it?" There was no denying the longing in Iggy's voice. Excitment bubbled in his mind. "Could I see again?"

"It's possible."

And with these words, that mysterious woman was gone. Her heavy-footsteps faded away slowly and several took there place. Doctors (he could smell the plastic on their gloves) filed into the room and there was the clink of equipment being passed around.

"How are you going to-" Iggy opened his mouth desperately, wanting some answers. He was cut off by a gruffer tone.

"Just relax, Sonny- you'll be fine."

Iggy let out a cry; he knew that person. He knew those words. He remembered the smell of the cologne. The calloused hands bulging against gloves.

"You took away my SIGHT!" he shrieked, thrashing against his restrictions. "You're responsible! You, you!!"

"I'm going to make it right, Sonny."

That was one of the two things that swirled in Iggy's mind before the drug took over. The other was what the woman had said- _"The black girl was calling for you...we dealt with her quickly."_

_Nudge...Nudge..._

**Max's story wasn't my finest, I know. I hope Iggy's made up for that. All my faithful reviewers...you know what to do. **

**And don't worry, I've got the rest of the story mapped out in my head. So I'm not just groping in the dark anymore. **

**BYE!!**

**-MEGGEM**


	10. Authors Note: IMPORTANT!

Apology to the Readers:

Hey there everyone!

I'm not going to look at the last time I updated because I know that if I did, I would slap myself…*SMACK!*…dang it. Ow.

Yes, um…you can write me a mean review if you want. I RICHLY deserve it. But there is something much more important than spewing this Author's Note with apologies:

For the time being, this story is being put on **hiatus**. GASP!

I know. You probably are thinking, 'Well, of COURSE it's on Hiatus, that's why she hasn't updated in FOREVER!' But now, this is official.

Due to the lack of response to the last couple of chapters, my diverted interest from Maximum Ride, MANY other stories, and just pure lack of inspiration, I declare this story momentarily incomplete.

*SOB* Sad times, sad times…

I am interested in writing fanfics for a movie and TV. Show at the moment, and I think writing for what you have inspiration is better than slaving over a dead end story. PLUS! I am writing two other novellas from my own ideas and those take up a lot of time. School will be returning soon as well.

Well, I'm sorry and hopefully, it will be even better when I DO return to this story sometime in the future.

Thank you faithful readers!

Thank you faithful readers! This message will be added to a few of my different stories a with a couple variations:

6 Years LaterForgottenNudge ChannelFallen

-MEGGEM


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